After a brief hiatus, I'm back. Hopefully, you've recovered from SAT hell. We're gonna take a look at informal language today. With few exceptions, informal language on the SAT writing section indicates that the question under consideration is wrong. Keep in mind that all of the basic grammar rules apply. However, words like "you" and "plus" are red flags that scream "don't pick me". Questions are below. Do them!
"You"
13. Psychologists advise that before making any major changes in your life, a person needs to focus on one's goals.
(A) your life, a person needs to focus on one's goals
(B) their life, a person needs to focus on their goals
(C) their lives, focus on the goals
(D) one's life, you should focus on your goals
(E) their lives, people should focus on their goals
Answer (highlight): E
7. Civil rights leader and author W.E.B. Du Bois was interested in drama because he believed that if you represented historical events on stage it could have a greater, more lasting effect than any exhibit or lecture.
(A) if you represented historical events on stage it
(B) with the events of history represented on stage they
(C) events which were represented historically on stage they
(D) by representing historical events on stage
(E) representing historical events on stage
Answer (highlight): E
9. When someone shops by mail or through the Internet, you will be following a tradition begun by the American colonists, who purchased almost everything from Europe.
(A) you will be following
(B) it is following
(C) you will follow
(D) he or she follows
(E) it follows
Answer (highlight): D
"Plus"
22. The Mount Isa mine complex is (A) one of (B) the most highly mechanized in the world, (C) plus being the (D) largest single industrial enterprise in Queensland. (E) No error
Answer: C, and there's that stupid little "being" there as well.
Other colloquialisms: wrong usage of possessive pronouns (myself, herself, himself, etc.)
14. My colleague and (A) myself received an (B) award for our paper on the accuracy (C) with which a polygraph (D) measures physiological processes. (E) No error
Answer: A
But don't conflate the type of error in the aforementioned question with that in the following:
15. An amateur potter (A) herself, the accountant offered (B) to help the artist with his business accounts, complicated (C) as they were (D) by his unusual system of record keeping. (E) No error
Answer: E
"Bob is more taller than me" questions
We say "Bob is taller than I am", and the term "taller" already means "more tall". Therefore, the correct answer is "Bob is taller than I". (Also, I am taller than he/she). Do the following question.
4. No one is more sorrier than me that you missed the awards ceremony.
(A) more sorrier than me
(B) sorrier than I
(C) more sorry like myself
(D) as sorry like I am
(E) sorrier but me
Answer: B
Bonus Questions
25. Far (A) away from having been a diehard conservative, (B) Hoover was, some scholars (C) now contend, the leading progressive (D) of his day. (E) No error
Answer: A
29. (A) There is (B) probably no story (C) more dramatic (D) than baseball's great hitter and right fielder, Hank Aaron. (E) No error
Answer: D. Remember, the word "more" is a magic word that indicates that the problem is likely testing you on comparison. Story =/= baseball player
13. If we compare the number of alligators with the Gila monster over time, we see that the alligator is in decline.
(A) If we compare the number of alligators with the Gila monster over time, we see that the alligator is
(B) Comparing the number of alligators and the Gila monster, we see that the alligators are
(C) In comparison with Gila monsters, the number of alligators are
(D) To compare the alligator with Gila monsters is to show that it is
(E) A comparison over time of the numbers of alligators and Gila monsters shows that alligators are
Answer: E. Remember the magic word, "of". (A) is wrong because it compare the number of alligators with the Gila monster. (B) is wrong for the same reason. (C) same problem. (D) This one is so awkward that it literally makes me go "uhg, WTF?". (E) is the correct answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment